Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Puzzle by Adam G. Perl, edited by Will Shortz
Happy New Year!
The H of FOURH (38A Kind of club that’s a hint to this puzzle’s theme) is the last entry I made on this first crossword puzzle of the year 2008 -- a sort of “Oh, I see!” -- HEAD, HEART, HANDS, and HEALTH! The last time the 4H was in a Times puzzle that I recall was May 24, 2007 -- along with two other multiple-letter entries, 3D and 10K. Today, however, the Four H Club is the sole star on the first day of the New Year!
HEADINTHECLOUDS (17A Daydreamer’s state); HEARTOFDARKNESS (25A Joseph Conrad novella); HANDSONTRAINING (43A Vocational school instruction); and HEALTHINSURANCE (57A Common employment benefit) are the 15-letter entries completely spanning the diagram (or grid) from left to right. The FOURH entry presides in the center of the puzzle -- looking odd as a “word” even after it makes sense! Let’s hope we can also make sense of our world this coming year for the sake of our young, and for all of God’s creation.
Across: 1. “Mamma Mia” group; 5. Play chauffeur; 10. Money to help one through a tight spot; 14. Either of two directing brothers; 15. All gone, as dinner; 16. Mayberry boy; 20. Directional suffix; 21. A choir may stand on it; 22. Good thing; 23. Sailor, colloquially; 24. Digit in binary code; 34. Edward who wrote the play “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia”; 35. Pastor’s flock; 36. Rebellious Turner; 37. Vintage autos; 39. Prefix with lock or knock; 40. SNO-cone; 41. Colonial settlement; 42. Bobby Orr, notably; 46. Superannuated; 47. Ring outcome, briefly; 48. CARGO pants (multipocketed wear); 51. Room plus, in a hotel; 54. “Don’t ASK”; 60. Cleveland’s lake; 61. Enlarge a house; 62. Men-only; 63. “The World of Suzie WONG”; 64. Sierra LEONE, Africa; 65. Certain vanity plate for husband-and-wife cars.
Down: 1. Suffer from a charley horse; 2. Transvaal trekker; 3. Vanilla BEAN; 4. “What else?”; 5. “Meet the Fockers” co-star, 2004; 6. Hamelin’s problem; 7. “ITHE Jury” (Spillane novel); 38. Zig or zag; 9. S.A.S.E., e.g.; 10. Relax, as rules; 11. Berkeley Breathed comic strip; 12. Lieutenant; 13. Fit snugly; 18. Really hot under the collar; 19. Like Lincoln, in physique; 23. Uno + dos; 24. Straight: Prefix; 25. Hard on the ears; 26. “Maria ELENA” (Dorsey tune); 27. ABOON to mankind; 28. Taken wing; 29. Intimidate; 30. Station with a show; 31. The blahs; 32. Participated temporarily, as with a band; 33. Police con; 38. Victuals; 39. Florence’s river; 41. Letter-shaped opening for a bolt; 42. Harley rider; 44. Links bend; 45. Bring into harmony; 48. Stick of gum, e.g.; 49. Prefix with -postale; 50. Common Seattle forecast; 51. Slaw or fries, e.g.; 52. Reverse, on a PC; 53. “The shoe ISON the other foot”; 54. A couple of chips, maybe; 55. Injury reminder; 56. Purchases for a shindig; 58. HAL 9000, sci-fi computer; 59. Bit of air pollution.
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